Category Archives: Lawn Care Tips

With summer fast approaching, hot dry weather can be a concern for your lawn and its health. Let us at VIRIDIS Lawn Care help you manage your resources to beat the heat this summer and keep your lawn looking its best.  Below are some helpful tips to recognize and treat your lawn’s issues during drought conditions.

One of the most noticeable symptoms of a lawn suffering during a hot dry summer is the color changing from a deep green to a dull greyish or blueish green hue followed by yellow and crispy tan if nothing is done to prevent it.

Another earlier warning sign is when it loses some of its springiness. Footprints and other tracks will remain visibly smashed down rather than bouncing back quickly. This happens as the leaves dry out. They may also roll or twist up. While rolling blades is one of the first signs that your lawn is lacking needed water, it is only noticeable if you actively inspect.

Obviously the best solution to grass drying out would be to water but sometimes water is either not available or under city restrictions. In any case, during extreme temperatures, watering at night or in the very early morning will best utilize this precious resource. Watering during the heat of the day, once the sun is up, will cause a  lot of waste through evaporation which will not only keep your lawn from getting the moisture it needs but also cost more money.

Fertilizer could also help conserve water. Often lawns look yellowish if they aren’t receiving the nutrients they need which could easily be mistaken for not enough water. Ensuring the grass has all the nutrients it needs to grow will enable you to know that your lawn is in need of water not fertilizer.

Mowing habits may also need to change. Keeping grass on the longer side can help shade roots and soil and keep moisture in. Try to keep grass at least 3 ½ inches tall. This will also help your lawn appear greener with the blade covering the thatch and roots.  Allow the clippings to stay on the lawn. This can help fertilize and also helps to shade and mulch around the root system.

Consider changing up your landscaping during droughts to decrease the area requiring water. Using rock, gravel, pavers or other similar options to replace lawn or flower beds can be a big step toward water conservation.

Using these techniques can help keep your landscaping looking good, even during droughts and hot summer weather. Let us as VIRIDIS Lawn Care help you manage your lawn to insure it always looks its best.

There are several weeds common in Utah that can grow in your lawn, turning your lush turf into troubled territory.  A few include:

• Black Medic

This weed has long stems with rounded, veined leaves and small clusters of yellow blooms. When mature, it produces black seed pods.

• Chickweed

Chickweed can be identified by little star shaped flowers, small oval leaves and tall stems.

• Creeping Bellflower

With pretty, blue or purple star shaped flowers, this weed can appear ornamental. It spreads though a very strong root system.

• Dandelion

One of the most common weeds, dandelions prefer cooler weather although they produce bright yellow blooms from early spring through late summer. Blooms turn to white fluffy seed heads which scatter in breezes.

• Dock

This weed can reach as much as 2 – 3 feet high. The leaves are tinted reddish and have crinkly edges.

• Field Bindweed

One of the most difficult weeds to control, this cool season vine spreads both underground though roots and above ground through seeds. The leaves are rounded and the flowers are somewhat bell shaped and white to pale pink.

• Foxtail

Foxtail comes in three varieties: red, green and yellow. It prefers warm weather.  It grows in clumps with stems topped in long, fuzzy looking heads.

• Grape Hyacinth

This ornamental weed dies during summer but resurfaces in the fall. It is extremely hard to control due to spreading though bulb divisions and though seeds.  It is topped with purple, cluster type flowers.

• Ground Ivy

This cool season vine prefers shade.  Stems root wherever they touch the ground. It produces purple funnel flowers.

• Henbit

This cold loving weed has square stems with indigo flowers that bloom around the beginning of April.

• Kochia

The leaves of kochia begin silvery but turn to green with yellow or red as they mature. It adapts to different environments well.

• Mallow

This resilient weed produces white flowers. They have disk to rounded heart shaped leaves and a very long sturdy root. They spread both through rooting and seeding.

• Moss

Moss grows best in cool, moist, shady areas. It is best controlled by less frequent watering.

• Mushrooms

Mushrooms grow in very wet environments and are usually found in shade.

• Thistle

These are very spiny, prickly weeds that produce large purple flowers. The leaves often have a silver or grey tint.

Any of these weeds can invade your grass, turning your turf into a field rather than a lawn. Many of these can also spread to or from your neighbors, creating lawn problems throughout the neighborhood. Allow VIRIDIS Lawn Care of Salt Lake to come help you control these problem plants and keep your lawn looking its best.

Do you live in Draper Utah and/or do you want your lawn to be the pride of the neighbor?

VIRIDIS Lawn Care of Draper UT knows how much pride a beautiful landscape can bring you. Enjoying your lush lawn and beautiful gardens can make the time, money, and effort you put in, worth it. For some, even after all that effort, your hard work can be thwarted by a neighbor’s negligence. While you may keep your landscape weeded, mowed, and cared for, nearby neighbors may not, and that can quickly become your problem.

Do Your Neighbors in Draper UT let their weeds get out of control?

Neighbors allowing weeds to grow unattended can spread the problem rapidly. Birds and wind can scatter weed seeds into your property where they can take root and spread. Other weeds spread through root systems, which get stronger and harder to kill when neglected. These weeds may show up near your property lines or can end up 20 feet away. So what do you do? While nothing will guarantee you remain weed free, here are some things that can help deter those weeds.

• Keep your lawn thick and healthy. The denser your grass, the less chance for a weed plant to crop up. Seeds usually need a bare spot to fall into in order to sprout. Reseed with grass seed any time your lawn looks sparse or has bare areas. Fertilize your lawn appropriately to help encourage strong root growth and healthy plants.
• Mulching gardens and beds can do the same thing as growing a dense lawn – remove bare spots for seeds to get a start. Laying down a layer of mulch can also help your gardens grow healthier and use less water, a win-win situation.
• Consider trenches, shrubs, fences, rock walls, or ground cover along the property line. You may want to discuss this with your neighbor and, it could be a great way to courteously bring up the problem their weeds are causing. Weeds have a hard time growing through rocks or in very shady areas. Fencing, such as a wooden privacy fence, can help block weeds that travel through seeds blown on a breeze. Trenching allows you to pull the weeds that creep into the trench and mow right up to its edge. Erecting these suggestions can help prevent their weeds from sneaking across the border into your lawn.
• Stay on top of the weeds! Don’t get discouraged and ignore them for weeks. The more diligent you are in removing them, the better off your lawn and gardens will be. Using weed sprays, pulling or hoeing, or hiring a professional lawn care service such as VIRIDIS Lawn Care Draper UT to help with weed control are the best options. Ignoring them will only allow them to go to seed in your property which will cause way more problems later on.

Lastly, but possibly most importantly, try talking to your neighbor about the effect their weeds are having on your landscape. They may not realize the harm they are causing you or perhaps don’t know what to do about the problem. Offer suggestions and your help. A little neighborliness from you can do wonders.